This thread is awesome -- Remember it from last year and now I wish I had posted up then

2010 I was riding strapped and blowing 75% of my jibes. 2011 strapless 100% of the time no matter how big and added a ton of backhand to my rights. Raceboard width grew by about 25cm and my fins by even 5cm more than that.

Kiting goals for 2012 are to experience some new strapless sessions whereever in the world I can escape to and do the full race season March - Oct with as many events as I can fit in. Consistently nailing the duck tack would be great too

It will be great to see what success 2012 will bring us all - I know everybody will have an awesome year... Happy New Year!

I thought I hadn't made much progress in 2011 until last month when I headed to Maui and hit two different expert-only spots during a XXL swell with a group of locals who told me that "no one kites strapless in Maui in these conditions". I never put my straps on, although if I had had a leash on at one spot it would have saved my board from going up on the rocks.

And yeah, some people do kite strapless in Maui -- on that day, let's see...Kai Lenny, Jesse Richman, Sky Solbach...and some organic farmer tourist dude from Norcal

1st season for me and got boosting and my backroll (hooked) pretty much dialed in thanks to ramsey!I hope to spend more time with him in the water in 2012 and I'm super motivated to start wake-style tricks unhooked with him!

And needless to say I'm gonna try as hard as I can since we're not supposed to survive passed december 21st!

And yeah, some people do kite strapless in Maui -- on that day, let's see...Kai Lenny, Jesse Richman, Sky Solbach...and some organic farmer tourist dude from Norcal

Attaboy Paul. If I had been there, I totally would have been on the beach being like "oh yeah. I know that guy."

and then I would have found some flatwater to go kiting on instead.

that said, I realized that overhead waves DO have an appeal for me. I landed my first Frontside 5 in Cape Verde in pretty big swell. Freestyle in waves is fun! Strapless surfboards in the waves is soooo last year.

Next year, land some 5s at 3rd and it's probably time to graduate to a blindjudge3. a backmobe would be cool too.

Tacking came through this season - but not the ducking part. And definitely not on a raceboard but only the surfboard. I'll figure out a few goals come spring time when next season rolls in. Until then everybody enjoy the warm water of the Caribbean and be safe